Nothing is Forever
by 00 Serenity 00
Summary: A girl from a wealthy family suddenly meets someone unexpected. Despite the unusual circumstances and social interactions, they could possibly become tentative friends.
1. Part One

**|-|Nothing is Forever|-|**

**|Part One|**

The summer air was dry and smelled faintly of smoke. The wind that blew through the trees was of no help; it just pushed the hot air around a bit. The leaves rustled together like paper. If they didn't have rain soon, the trees might start changing colors

Tamiko gave herself another futile wave of her fan. It was not a day to hang around outside, but she had nowhere else to retreat to.

Guests were expected later that afternoon. It wasn't something she wanted to be around for, despite her obvious need of attendance. It was a marriage meeting. After the first dozen, she doubted this one would work out either: her father simply had high expectations.

She sighed and leaned back against a tree. The family compound wasn't in sight, but she knew she was still on their land. With her legs apart and her simple yukata pulled up, she looked nothing like the high class woman she was supposed to.

As long as she made it in time to bathe and dress into a formal kimono, she would be in the clear. Her father allowed her at least that much. To sunburn, however, was unforgivable. Not that the shade helped with the unrelenting heat.

She pushed her sweat drenched bangs up, trying to wipe off her slick face. Her long, blonde hair didn't seem to want to stay in the bun she had forced it in, and with the temperature, any length of hair made it even more uncomfortable.

With the sun slipping a little further down in the sky, Tamiko figured she should start walking home. The walk itself would be torture, but the thought of being late pushed her forward.

* * *

><p>"Thank you for coming here today," her father said, smiling politely. "My wife and I will discuss it further and contact you again later this week."<p>

The time frame was a dead giveaway. If it had been a couple days, then Tamiko would have something to wonder about. A week was a definite no.

After many bows and a few more courteous words exchanged, the guests left. Another family wishing to marry into their family, her father would say. Tamiko was their only daughter; he would give her away to only the best.

As she was about to leave the room, her mother stopped her.

"Have you finished your homework for tomorrow?" she asked.

"Yes, it is finished," she replied, her posture still formal.

Her mother gave an approving nod, allowing her daughter to leave.

As soon as the doors slid shut behind her, she heaved a sigh. She glanced warily at a nearby maid, whose expression stated that she hadn't seen a thing. Tamiko wasn't supposed to relax, even in her own home.

She walked briskly through the many hallways and doors until she had made it outside. The sun was beginning to set, casting a dim glow to the forest. There was only a small bit of land before the trees started, and she hardly ever enjoyed staying there.

Staring wistfully at the trees, she nearly started walking towards them. If she hadn't been in a kimono and it wasn't a school night, she would have continued to do so.

Instead, she walked a few feet towards a wooden bench that stood up against the building. It was the closest she could get to the forest without actually entering it.

If there was one thing she was happy about living in Konoha, it would be the abundance of trees. They calmed her, for some reason. They served as a sort of escape from life.

She didn't hate what had become of it, she just needed to unwind from the day's stressful events. Being the only child, she was constantly watched. Every flaw was revealed and fixed; there was hardly any room for privacy.

School was nice, though, she had to admit.

As she was pondering the benefits of going to school, for goodness knows why, the wind flew through the leaves, making enough noise to break her train of thought.

A dark figure jumped down from the forest. As it straightened up, she noted it was a guy. She was too surprised to speak.

He looked up suddenly, staring at the house before he moved his dark eyes over to her.

Surprise quickly turned to bewilderment. Several thoughts flew through her mind: -_Goodness, I'm still dolled up from the meeting. –There's something shiny on his head. –Calm, calm down. –Who the flip is this guy?_

He started walking casually over to her, as if he cared not on whose property he walked. His features became clearer as got closer.

And then he smiled.

* * *

><p>I haven't updated anything in a super long time, buuuut...ta da? New story? Yeah? Hopefully it's interesting or will get interesting as the plot unfolds. This is being written as a request from Koyuki-Rune ^_^<p>

Jen


	2. Part Two

**|-|Nothing is Forever|-|**

**|Part Two|**

"Hello," he said.

It wasn't his tone of voice that made her wary of this stranger, it was the smile. It was fixed to his face in false way, making him look as if he were mocking others. The other reason would be for the weapon strapped to his back.

When she didn't respond, the smile slipped a little.

As he approached her, her throat tightened, as if she needed to shout or scream, but couldn't. Her fingers had gripped the bench she sat on, but it was like they had turned to stone, unable to move from their position.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered where the guards were. Clearly he was an intruder; he hadn't come through the front. Somebody should have noticed that he had managed to get to their house.

_Oh_, she thought, _I did._

She noticed the shiny thing on his head was a headband with a metal plate. Engraved was the symbol for the Leaf Village. When he came to a stop in front of her, he crouched down.

"Could you tell me how to get to Konoha?" he asked.

Her fear crumbled almost completely.

"Why?" she asked, her voice quiet.

He stared at her for a moment before smiling like before. He pointed to his headband and said, "Because I've lost my team."

The word team along with his gesture didn't make sense to her, but if he didn't leave soon, someone might see and alert her father that she was talking alone with a boy. Not that he looked much like any boy she'd seen. His eyes looked older.

"Would it be enough if I showed you the direction?" she asked. Being so close to him, she felt like she needed something between them. A barrier, of sorts. Her shoulders curved out, as if she wanted to hide.

"That would work," he said and stood up.

Stiffly, Tamiko rose from her seat. "You can see what I mean easier from a height. Follow me and we can climb to the roof," she said. The roof was also a perfect place to escape unwanted eyes.

He complied silently, walking about three steps behind her. A particular side of the house had boxes piled up and the stone on the wall was from a fireplace inside. At an early age, she had discovered it made for a rather easy climb.

As soon as she clambered on one of the wooden crates, he had jumped from his position on the ground to being perched on the roof.

She stared at him with her mouth hanging open in a most unlady-like manner.

He held out a glove-clad hand towards her. "Here," he said.

Unsure of herself, Tamiko lightly placed her hand in his. He wasted no time, however, and yanked her up to the roof.

This made them _very_ close.

"Is this a good spot?" he asked, turning away from her to look around.

With an unusually warm face, she shook her head. Realizing he couldn't see her, she said, "No, we need to get higher."

She started walking towards the second level roof. In mere seconds, he had appeared on the top by himself.

"Which direction?" he asked, looking down at her.

She pointed to her left, at an angle. "Do you see mountains?" she asked.

He squinted against the fading light. "Konoha?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes," she said, since he wasn't looking at her anymore.

"Thank you," he said, smiling again. This time it seemed a little more real. "Goodbye."

With another blur of movement, he had disappeared into the trees.

* * *

><p>"And you just let him go?" Aiko exclaimed, her eyebrows forced together to make a bewildered expression.<p>

"But if—"

"What if he was dangerous?" she continued, scolding her friend. The other students in the hallway would glance over, but continue walking. Aiko was generally loud.

"He's a shinobi, there's no way he'd let stay alive if he needed to kill her," Taichi said, filling out some of his mathematics homework. It was their next class.

"Shinobi?" Tamiko questioned.

"How long have you been living here?" he asked. "Sheesh. If what you said about his headband was correct, then he's a shinobi. They're like an army, almost. They protect the land they're a part of. He was wearing a Leaf symbol, so he wouldn't kill you anyways, since you're in the Fire Country."

"Wow, really?" Aiko asked, looking completely enthralled.

"You've got to be kidding me," he muttered, writing down another answer.

* * *

><p>Hope you liked it :) it'll get more interesting...I think.<p>

Jen


	3. Part Three

**|-|Nothing is Forever|-|**

**|Part Three|**

"So have you got the answer to number six?" Taichi asked, chewing on the end of his pencil.

Aiko glanced over, amused. "Four?" she guessed.

Tamiko was distracted by her thoughts on shinobi. "It's twenty-nine," she said. "But if he is a part of an army, then shouldn't he know his way around his own country?"

"Do you every pay attention in our histories class?" Taichi asked, scribbling down her answer. "I mean, you're brilliant in logistics and whatnot, but it seems like it ends there. The Fire Country is huge. _You_ would remember where every single path or village is, right?"

"I think class is going to start soon," Aiko said, watching the other students meander through the hall.

"Wouldn't he have a map?" Tamiko continued.

He had to think about that one for a moment. "That might put him at a disadvantage, though. If he were to get caught, it's a map to the country he is supposed to protect. That's a failure in itself, right?"

She slouched against the wall. "I guess," she said.

Suddenly a teacher, running, came to a halt in front of them.

"Have you seen Hideki?" she asked, panting. A woman her size probably shouldn't go running around like that.

All three of them shook their heads. "No," Taichi said.

"If you see him, tell him that I'd like to speak with him," she said, wiping her face.

They all nodded and she ran off. It was silent for a moment.

"Anyways, class is starting," Aiko said as she started walking towards her art class. "See you guys later."

Tamiko waved, her mind still on the questionable shinobi.

* * *

><p>The afternoon sun was bearable that day. The three friends sat outside for lunch at their usual place. The lush, green trees provided them with adequate shade.<p>

"So how was your mathematics class?" Aiko asked as she unwrapped her food. "Did you finish your homework on time?"

"Yup," he replied, stuffing his face with food. He had to brush away some of his light brown hair unless he wanted to eat that, too.

"At last minute," Tamiko said, smiling. "The teacher came by to collect it as he was writing the last answer."

"Hey," Taichi said, pointing his chopsticks at her. "Not everyone is as good at math as you are."

"I just study," she said.

"Then why do you suck at history?" he asked with his mouth full. A piece of rice flew out.

"Because it's _boring_," she said, leaning back on the stone bench they sat on. "Math is so easy; you just have to follow certain rules. Nothing changes, really. When the teacher is doing a lecture in history, it puts me to sleep. I do the homework, but I don't remember any of it."

"Unbelievable," he muttered and shook his head.

Aiko was the only one who looked up at the sound of someone running.

"Quick, don't let her see me!" the boy said, his long black hair coming out of his ponytail.

Aiko pointed up to the trees as Tamiko looked around. Taichi gave him a deadpan stare.

They all heard the sound of a door slamming.

The boy yelped and scrabbled up a tree. There were enough leaves to conceal him. As soon as the branches stopped moving, a teacher ran past them, huffing with every step.

"Hey genius, you can get down now," Taichi called out.

"Shh!" he said loudly.

"Yeah, even though she isn't her, that was totally obvious," Aiko said.

Tamiko giggled. "Who was after you this time, Hideki?" she asked.

The boy hopped down, his expression serious. "Don't say my name so loud!" he said in a hushed voice. "You never know who's around!" His head turned from side to side at a violent rate.

"There's nobody here," Taichi said, returning to his meal.

"You never know!" Hideki said, glaring at the other boy. "Those stupid teachers won't leave me alone!" He sat down on a bench, but his posture was tense. "_Hideki, you need to do better on your tests if you want to become something great! Hideki, you may have aced the tests but you could do better!_" he mocked. "What does that even _mean_?"

"That you're a star student," Aiko responded. "The teachers just want you to succeed and be a role model for the other students. They probably want you to get a higher education, too."

"What for?" he asked exasperatingly. "I'm probably just going to help my father out on the farm when we finish school."

"Uh," Taichi said, looking past his friend.

"And just because they're too stupid to figure out a way to boost everyone else's morale, doesn't mean I have to be their victim," he continued.

"_Hidekiiii_."

His face had gone from aggravated to something that said, "Oh shit."

* * *

><p>Hope you liked it :)<p>

Jen


	4. Part Four

**|-|Nothing is Forever|-|**

**|Part Four|**

Tamiko's parents were waiting outside the school when the last class had let out. Usually a member of the household staff would be waiting, so this sudden appearance was odd.

Her mother held a fan in front of her face, her expression hard to determine. She stood there looking every bit the wealthy woman she was.

The girl bowed respectfully.

"Do you have all your things?" her mother asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"Good. You have another marriage meeting tonight and we're going to pick up your new kimono," she said. "I received news that it was finished."

Tamiko gave a single nod. As she followed her parents, she glanced behind her once to see her friends waving at her. She smiled, stifling a giggle, before giving them a little wave in return.

"I really don't approve of your friendship with those boys," her mother said, still staring straight ahead of her.

"It's just a friendship, nothing more," Tamiko said. "And besides, Taichi and Aiko are seeing each other." This was a lie that they had come up with together when her mother first found out about the three of them being friends.

"And the other one?" she asked.

Her mother hadn't met Hideki before, but he had been with the others while waving.

"He's—"

As if he had known he was being talked about, the boy flew past them at full speed. A few moments later, his mother ran past, shouting various obscenities at him.

"He's in the top of our class," Tamiko quickly said, as if she could repair the damage her mother had seen.

"I'm sure," her mother said dryly.

* * *

><p>The marriage meeting was over quickly. Tamiko hardly ever listened to what they discussed anymore; nothing was of interest. The other party's views were too different from her father's. It was doomed for failure from the start.<p>

As soon as the guests had left, Tamiko was dismissed for the evening.

This time, she wasted no time at all. Despite the new kimono she wore, she headed straight for the trees. The weather was cooler that day, becoming even more so as the sun began to dip past the horizon.

She had several places she liked to go to when she needed to relieve stress, but one was her all-time favorite.

If one were to follow a mess of vague directions, they would find that somewhere, the trees created a small grouping around a pond. It wasn't very big, but neither was the stream that fed into it.

The smell wasn't the greatest, but it was pretty.

Tamiko spent a good five minutes trying to find a dry rock to sit on. As soon as she did, she hitched up her kimono and plopped down.

The cool stone felt great after that long hike and the silence was blissful.

A while ago, when she first learned about marriage meetings, she had been violently opposed. After all, it was as if her parents wanted to trade her off to a complete stranger.

After the first ten or so, she realized it would be a while before they actually decided on one. Even then, she doubted she would care. Her life had been bland and completely out of her control. At some point, she had stopped arguing.

Somebody dropped down in front of her.

It took her a moment to register what had happened.

She screamed, backing up into a tree and then running behind it.

"Ah, I'm sorry."

Frowning, she stuck her head out from behind the tree. It was a voice she had heard before.

"I don't mean any harm," he said, smiling.

Her face glowed from embarrassment. "H-How do I know that?" she asked, returning her head to the safety of the tree.

There was a pause.

"I'm sorry, I don't know," he said. "But I came here to properly thank you."

At this, she became confused. "For what?" she asked as she desperately tried to still her panicked heart.

"Yesterday," he said, coming up beside her.

Tamiko screamed again.

* * *

><p>Hope you liked it ^_^ it seems the more I write, the more I believe it's going to be a softer story.<p>

Constructive criticism is always helpful :)

Jen


	5. Part Five

**|-|Nothing is Forever|-|**

**|Part Five|**

His smile dropped as his eyebrows rose. His hand was held out in front of him, as if he were debating whether or not it was appropriate to try and help Tamiko.

The girl was miserably sitting in some sludge from the pond.

He held his hand out all the way.

She raised an eyebrow, cheeks flushed, as she showed him that her hands were muddy.

Despite this, he grabbed hold of her hand and then her arm with his other hand. With considerable ease, he had her standing once again.

She wanted to ask him his name. Instead, she blurted out, "Why are you here?" even though he had already answered that question.

"I came to thank you for giving me directions the other day," he said, his smile slipping back in place. "I read somewhere that if you really appreciate something somebody did, then you should thank them properly."

Somehow, the last word sounded off.

"But you thanked me before you left," she said, wiping her hands on her already dirty kimono.

He looked almost surprised by this. "Ah, I consulted some friends before I came here," he said, as if this would somehow reassure her that he meant well.

She frowned, not sure where this conversation was headed. "A-Anyways," she said, pushing aside some blonde hair that had escaped the style it was set in. "What's your name?"

There was only a slight pause, but it made it seem like he had hesitated. "Sai," he responded, smiling again. It was the same, eerie smile he had first given her.

She crossed her arms more for comfort than to appear defensive. "And why would you need to consult friends?" she asked. She knew, however, that she would have done the same, regardless of the reason.

"Because I learned that sometimes it isn't always how a book explains," he said.

He didn't seem to be lying, but the whole situation was strange. A guy pops out of nowhere, asking for directions, only to pop back out again a day later to thank her for it. An uncomfortable silence weighed heavily between them.

"I…I should probably get home soon," Tamiko said, glancing around. The light was fading and, while she didn't have a problem with walking home in the dark, she knew her parents would be angry.

"Ah," he said. "Then I should thank you, now, so you can go."

"But you already…"

He bowed deeply and then straightened out. Casually, he took her hand. "Thank you very much," he stated.

"It's honestly not that—"

She suddenly stopped talking as he got closer.

* * *

><p>"You tried <em>what<em>?" Sakura interrupted, staring at their teammate with a horrified expression.

"It was in the book," Sai said, trying to explain. Naruto was too busy laughing to say anything, but that alone said wonders.

"It doesn't matter if it's in a book!" the pink-haired girl exclaimed. "You just don't do that!"

Sai stopped walking as he thought about it. Very lightly, he touched the side of his face that sported a large, red handprint. He looked up. "But you said I should thank her properly," he said.

Sakura pressed her fingers to her temples. "Yes, but that doesn't mean _kissing_ someone," she said.

"I didn't."

"But you _tried_," she replied. Inhaling deeply, she wasn't sure what to think of Sai anymore. "That poor girl. You'll need to apologize to her or else she'll have misunderstood you."

Naruto wiped tears from his face. "So what happened then?" he asked, his breathing coming back to normal.

The other boy's eyes moved down. "Nothing," he said. "Oh, well, she left." He was still trying to understand what he did wrong.

"Okay, listen to me," Sakura said, trying to look somewhat calm. "Wait, I should phrase this carefully…You kiss someone you truly like. Not like friendships."

"Yeah, yeah!" Naruto exclaimed. "Like, uh, you and Sakura! You're friends, right? You don't kiss friends!"

"That's right," Sakura said.

"But, uh…Damn it, who's together?" Naruto said out loud, trying to come up with an example.

"Like parents," Sakura quickly said so as not to confuse Sai. "They love each other, which is why they're married and why they kiss."

"I see," he said seriously, taking every single word to heart.

Both Sakura and Naruto let out a sigh of relief. Hopefully, this was getting somewhere with the boy.

"Ah," Sai said, looking up. "But then, Naruto, you and Sasuke kissed before. Is that different?"

"_**What**_?"

* * *

><p>Took a little while to think of something for this part...lol been reading too many SasuNaru doujinshi on youtube lately (hence the ending) and yes, I am a huge fan of that pairing.<p>

Ah, but the reason they're so short is because it's convenient for me. Writing two pages in Word isn't real hard and I can write it when I can without taking too much time. It makes posts more frequent and less of a hassle. I go to work more often now that it's summer (so busy schedule), but I'm going to try finishing this before school starts back up again ^_^

Hope you liked it, though.

Jen


	6. Part Six

|-|Nothing is Forever|-|

|Part Six|

School, on any given day, was always blended together with strange emotions. There was the feeling of brain cells dying when listening to a boring teacher, or the bubbly happy feeling of being with great friends.

Tamiko felt nothing, that day, except for blank confusion: her face was blank and her mind confused.

Aiko and Taichi were in a conversation all on their own, their voices going unheard. They had seen the state she was in and respectfully let her think to herself.

"_Hide me_." Hideki's pitiful face loomed into hers.

Her brown eyes widened. Obviously he wasn't quite so respectful. That or he didn't notice she was seriously trying to figure things out.

An idea sparked and the first sign of another emotion flickered across her face. "Only if you help me," she said.

His head jerked side to side, his black hair swishing, as he looked around. "Anything," he begged. "Just don't let them see me."

She frowned. "Who is after you this time, Hideki?" she asked.

"Sh!" he said loudly, covering her mouth. "They'll hear!"

She was about to protest that nobody could possibly hear all the way out by the trees, but they both heard the heavy footsteps of someone running.

Trying to think quickly, she tossed her jacket over his head and pushed him on the ground.

Taichi and Aiko stopped talking, instead staring at whatever Tamiko had thought to be a good idea at the time.

Taken by surprise, Hideki squirmed underneath her.

She looked up desperately at the other two, her eyes silently asking what the hell she was supposed to do now.

The footsteps got closer and, sensing her urgency, Taichi flung himself at Aiko. While the scene, at a very brief glimpse, might have looked like a romantic one, if one were to look carefully, they would have to stop and just _stare._

Taichi and Tamiko both looked as if they were trying to murder Aiko and Hideki: Taichi forcefully pushing her to the ground, Tamiko smothering him with her jacket.

Thankfully the teacher just flew past them, taking them to be couples in love. Perhaps a very morbid sort of love.

Tamiko relaxed as soon as the teacher was out of sight, giving Hideki the opportunity to come up for air.

"Gone?" he asked, breathing heavily. His face was bright red.

She nodded loyally.

"Good," he said, putting a hand through his hair. "I never get to eat with you guys anymore since they keep chasing me. It's not fair."

Taichi shrugged, resuming the position he had originally been in. His ears were red from embarrassment at having done something he knew he shouldn't have. "Why don't you just fail a couple classes?" he asked.

Hideki's mouth opened for a response but, having none, he shut it and thought to himself. "You know, I never thought about that," he said, his expression turning calmer.

"For a genius, you sure are stupid," the other boy said, rolling his eyes. He easily picked up the conversation he was having with Aiko again.

Hideki gave him an irritated stare.

"So anyways," Tamiko said. "I helped you so could you help me understand something?"

His face immediately brightened. "Sure, anything!" he said. "What is it, math? Science? Dare I say, literature?"

"Um, no, it doesn't have anything to do with, uh, school stuff," she said, trying to figure out how to phrase her question. "Would you try and kiss someone you barely even know?"

He paused, staring at her. His face suddenly became mockingly serious. "Depends," he said, shifting his eyebrows conspiratorially.

Tamiko frowned, rubbing her fingers against her head. "I'm serious," she said. "Would you really try and kiss someone to thank them?"

His eyebrows shot up. "Oh," he said before grinning. "Ohhh. Playboy style, eh? That's the ultimately lame smooth move. I saw it on a bunch of dramas my mom likes to watch. This guy, who always spouts mushy, dramatic, romantic stuff will get up all close and personal." He suddenly took her hand, and gave her a strange sort of leer. "Then he will say something about how thankful he is and how the woman is so wonderful, blah, blah, blah, and then BAM! He lays one on her." He fluttered his eyelashes at her.

There was a pause as she thought over his words. "Huh," she said. "So basically he was trying to be smooth?"

He shrugged. "Probably," he said. He thought for a moment. "Who are you talking about anyways? Oh, did you see one of those dramas? Cause they're really weird and confusing sometimes, most of the time." He tilted his head and did a one shouldered shrug.

"Something like that," she said.

He stared at her blankly, as if he knew she wasn't being completely honest.

"Time for class!" Aiko said. She stood up and stretched while Taichi was leaning down to pick up his backpack.

"Back to hell," Hideki huffed, standing up as well. He turned to Tamiko and held out a hand. When she took it, he pulled her up towards him. "Don't go falling for those stupid moves. You don't want to be played by those sorts of people," he said quietly with serious eyes.

Her eyes widened.

"We're gonna be late," Taichi said loudly before suppressing a yawn. "C'mon."

Despite the time, they walked back to the school at a relaxed pace. That is, until they got to their classroom.

"Hideki," the woman hissed. It was obvious from her shiny face and the way her chest was heaving that she was the one who was chasing after him again.

He stood absolutely petrified.

"I need to speak with you about your educational plan," she said, her voice hoarse and evil sounding.

He took in a deep breath and they all expected him to run. Instead, he suddenly started dancing. He tapped his foot, swayed his hips, and moved his arms at random. It was as if he had his own radio playing in his head.

"Uh," Taichi said. Even the teacher was at a loss for words.

Hideki spun around in a full circle, dropped low to the ground, and stuck a leg out, before hopping back up. He really started getting into it when his arms were moving along with his hips and he starting jumping around with those moves.

"When in doubt, _dance_!" Hideki exclaimed.

Taichi ignored him, sliding open the door to the classroom and walking in.

With all eyes still on him, Hideki sort of shuffled and spun his way into the classroom.

A few seconds later, the teacher dragged him back out.

* * *

><p>Ironically, the idea to have him dance came before I got the song "I Don't Feel Like Dancin' " (by Scissor Sisters) stuck in my head.<p>

This may seem like a very pointless chapter but...muahaha.

Hope you liked it, even with Hideki's...oddities.

Jen


	7. Part Seven

|-|Nothing is Forever|-|

|Part Seven|

The marriage meeting was another routine, another denial. Tamiko would not be married to this person. Or the next person. Or the next, for that matter. In all honesty, the marriage meetings were becoming more and more of a waste of time.

She only hoped that her parents would believe so as well, but that wasn't about to happen.

Several days had passed since the incident at the pond, but despite that, she was already making her way back there. She was actually somewhat hoping he would be there.

After stumbling through a stubborn bush, she saw the area clear of anyone. While normally this would make her relieved at the serene solitude, Tamiko found herself disappointed.

Pulling up her yukata, she kicked off her sandals and walked to the pond. This time she wasn't wearing something her mother would screech at for ruining. That kimono had been new and normally she was very good at keeping them clean…

The water and the mud were cool and relaxing, especially after the long trek to get there. Summer was an unfortunate season, she decided. It was too warm and uncomfortable.

Twigs snapped and leaves rustled behind her. Turning around, she saw a familiar form walk out, his expression sort of nervous.

"I made sure not to startle you, this time," Sai said. He was referring to the noise he made.

She smiled, feeling unusual. "Thank you," she said. "Last time I was scolded. The kimono was new, you see."

His eyebrows raised. "I'm sorry, that was my fault," he said, bowing.

"There's no need for that," she said hurriedly, waving her hands. "It wasn't that bad."

He raised his head. An awkward silence fell on them.

"So," he started, still standing a good five feet away from her. "I should apologize for last time. I was told that my actions were inappropriate. I had believed the wrong book, I guess."

"The…wrong book?" she asked, frowning.

"Never mind," he said. "Point is, I should not have done that and I am sorry." He was bowing again.

"It's okay," she said. She didn't like it when people did that, even if it was out of respect. "I shouldn't have hit you."

He smiled. This time it looked more real. He touched his cheek. "No, I'm glad that you did," he said. "Otherwise I wouldn't have known to stop."

There was a brief silence, neither knowing what to say.

"So where did you learn that kissing is a form of thanking?" Tamiko finally asked, her cheeks burning at her embarrassing words.

"In a book, but I said not to mind that," he said, looking almost nervous. "It's not really important."

Tamiko wasn't sure what to make of this. It seemed to put him in an uncomfortable position, however, so she changed the subject. "So I was talking with my friends at school and they said that you're probably a shinobi."

He paused for a moment. "I am," he said. "For Konoha. You're still in school?"

She nodded. "Yes," she said. "Most people my age are."

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen," she replied. "And you?"

"Seventeen," he said, as if the information was irrelevant. "I graduated from school when I was nine. But that was for being a shinobi. I take it that isn't what you do?"

She smiled at him. "No, I'm just an average girl," she said. "I don't really know why I attend school, aside from preventing me from being ignorant."

"You have no dream or goal?" he asked.

She shook her head. "My parents will plan all that," she said, turning to look at the water. "They decided I need an education and they will decide what I am to do with it."

He walked over to a large rock. In a quick movement, he was sitting on it. "That doesn't sound right," he said.

She shrugged. "Nothing much I can do, though," she said.

Sai frowned slightly. "You're free to choose what you want," he said. "Your parents can only say so much, don't you think?"

"But they control everything," she persisted. "They could make it so I couldn't eat, that I couldn't see anyone ever again, or even stop me from leaving the house."

He looked thoughtful on the matter, but he remained silent.

* * *

><p>So they're starting to meet more frequently, sort of.<p>

Hope you liked it :)

Jen


	8. Part Eight

|-|Nothing is Forever|-|

|Part Eight|

The day was sluggish and boring. Perhaps even a rather melancholy day. Regardless, the feeling was dull, yet in a content way. Tamiko thought so, anyways.

Taichi was working out an essay for a class he had next while Aiko was reading something in a magazine. A breeze came by, playing with their hair a bit, before dying down again. Clouds were passing by with the same feeling of laziness they all felt.

"Hey, there's a new shop opening up close by here," Aiko said, looking up. "It's really not that far. We should go when it opens."

"What kind of shop is it?" Tamiko asked.

"A clothing store," she said and pointed to the glossy page. "They'll sell little knick-knacks, too. Like charms and posters."

"Not interested," Taichi said, tapping his pencil as he thought about what he wanted to write.

Aiko's eyes narrowed. "It's almost summer break! We need to actually _do_ something this time!" she exclaimed.

"What do you mean? We did plenty last time," Taichi mumbled as he had suddenly found inspiration. The pencil scratched against the paper with speed.

"Right, the pool. Tamiko couldn't even go with us half the time!" Aiko protested. "We're going to do something interesting this time. More stuff, different stuff." Suddenly she whirled on Tamiko. "And you can ask that guy you like to come along! I mean, you don't really have to let your parents know he'll be going, right?"

Her face grew warm. "I never said I liked him!" she said, taken aback by her words.

The other girl raised an eyebrow. "Mhmm," she said. "Psh, lately he's been the most you talk about."

"Probably because he's new and unusual," Taichi said, stuffing his belongings into his backpack. "He's different from us."

Tamiko perked up at this. "Oh yeah! I found out he really is a shinobi!" she said.

Aiko turned her head sharply. "You've talked to him again?" she asked.

The blonde girl nodded. "We meet occasionally," she said, looking at her hands. "He's been…easy to talk to."

Aiko's face slowly morphed into a gloating smile. "Ahhhh," she said, hooking an arm around her friend. "I knew it! I swear, this is going to be good!"

Taichi rolled his eyes while Tamiko's face began to glow red. She wasn't sure how to respond.

* * *

><p>Sai sat on a tree branch as she sat on a rock. The mood was mellow and relaxing. It was probably a nice break from his work, she imagined. At least, she hoped it was.<p>

With her back facing him, she didn't see the piece of paper he was holding or the words scribbled on it. The water was cool as she swirled her feet in it. The days had been getting cooler, signaling the hot season might be ending.

"What do you enjoy doing?" Sai asked, looking away from his paper.

"Enjoy?" she asked, turning her head to the side.

"An activity you like to do," he said, actually reading the definition he had copied. The book he had taken this from was tucked back in its spot in Konoha's library. "For amusement."

"Hmm, I guess reading," she said, looking up at the sky. "I enjoy watching performing artists, like dancers or actors. What about you?"

He paused for a moment. "Calligraphy," he said. "It's…soothing. And I enjoy drawing."

At this, she turned around. "You like to draw?" she asked.

He stared at her. He had just stated that he did… Sai nodded.

Tamiko smiled. "If you don't mind, could I watch you some time?" she asked. "It's actually one of the things I like doing, too. Whenever there's somebody doing sketches for money, I like to watch."

His dark eyes had widened in surprise. "I haven't actually had anyone watch before," he said, shifting his gaze to the side. "I mean, people have looked over my shoulder plenty of times, but…"

"Ah, you don't have to if you don't want to," she said hurriedly.

He smiled at her. "No, its fine," he said. "I'll bring proper art tools with me next time."

Those two words created a warm feeling in her stomach. _Next time_, he had said. So he wasn't just visiting her out of a feeling of obligation.

Aiko's words came back to her suddenly. Tamiko had never really liked anyone before. She had already known that her parents would pick somebody for her, so she never really cared for looking at guys.

Almost immediately after, though, Taichi's words planted doubt in her mind. If he really was just new and interesting, then this feeling probably wouldn't last very long.

But it was such a nice feeling.

* * *

><p>My internet is back! :D it was gone for almost five days!<p>

Hope you liked it :) It'll get more interesting soon...

Jen


	9. Part Nine

|-|Nothing is Forever|-|

|Part Nine|

"She's a curious girl, don't you think?" Sakura said, flipping her pink hair behind her ear. They were headed towards a very well-known ramen stand for lunch.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked. Sai also looked at her.

"From a very tradition family," she explained. "You don't see her type much anymore. At least, from the way you describe it, Sai."

The dark-haired boy lacked any definite expression, but he was thinking. "The rich marry off their children," he said. "I've not only read about it, but I've seen it, too. Is that also traditional?"

Sakura nodded, smiling patiently. "Marriage arrangements are made to either bring more wealth or honor to the family," she said. "They must be pretty important if her father keeps denying people."

Naruto squinted in annoyance. "I don't get why she puts up with it," he said, wrinkling his nose. "Those things sound stupid, boring, and just plain gross! Who wants to marry someone you don't know?"

"I don't think she has a choice," Sai said quietly. "And she appears to go along with what her parents say, for the most part."

"For the most part?" Naruto echoed. Sakura had nearly asked the exact same thing.

A smile tugged at his mouth. "She's made her own friends, regardless of their opinions," he said. "And she sits improperly when they aren't around. Not to mention talking to me unsupervised."

Naruto wagged his eyebrows. "Do you _need_ to be supervised?" he asked suggestively.

The answer was a swift punch to the face from Sakura.

"She sounds like a nice girl," the pink-haired girl said through gritted teeth. "Honest. Just don't get too involved."

At this, Sai frowned.

"Don't do anything you'll regret," Sakura said quickly, trying not to confuse him. "I mean, what happens if you tell her not to put up with her father? Something bad might happen, you know? Getting to know _her_ is fine."

"Don't make trouble," Naruto said, attempting to translate. "Otherwise she could end up in shit and blame you."

Again, Sai frowned. They had reached the ramen stand and Naruto had already started shouting out his order before he even entered.

Sakura glanced at him curiously as she took a seat. "But, you know, if you _like_ the girl, then that's a different matter," she said. Naruto was too busy inhaling noodles to pay attention to where the conversation was headed.

Sai's eyebrows shot up. He knew what the word 'like' meant, but the way she said it made him think she meant something else. "She is very likable," he said, staring at her.

She sighed with a curve of a smile on her face. "Never mind," she said, accepting her bowl of ramen from the cook.

Sai thought over her words, tucking it away in some folder in his head to be looked over later. A visit to the library and, possibly, the Academy was in order.

* * *

><p>With a few strokes of his brush, he finished what was a rather quick sketch of the faces of the Hokage's in Konoha. Tamiko had seen the mountain a few times before while visiting with her parents, but it was interesting to watch them appear on the page.<p>

"I probably got some of the details wrong," Sai said, tilting his head as he looked at the completed sketch. "His nose shouldn't be that big."

The girl smiled. "It looks very good," she assured him, pulling back her blonde hair.

They were sitting on a boulder, side by side. He had been crouched over the paper while she had been peering over his shoulder, but now they were simply staring at the sketch.

Tamiko was aware how close they were. With just a little shifting around, their arms or shoulders would brush against the others. She had been close to Hideki and Taichi before, but it wasn't quite the same.

"So did you still enjoy watching me?" Sai asked, turning to look at her.

Painfully close.

She smiled, trying to breathe normally. "Very much," she replied.

His eyes scanned her face, as if he had found something curious there. He bit his bottom lip slightly and turned back to his sketch, his expression thoughtful.

"Do you draw often?" she decided to ask, trying to banish the urge to jump away. Doing so would make it awkward, even though it would help lessen her irregular heartbeat.

He nodded. "I use it to fight as well," he said, staring in front of him. "Speaking of which, I have a mission coming up, so I will be away for a while."

Her eyebrows shot up and she couldn't help but feel disappointment drop like a weight in her stomach. "I wish you well, then," she said, glancing at him.

He turned back to her, smiling. "You too."

* * *

><p>I'm feeling slightly evil today. Y'know, it doesn't have <em>anything<em> to do with me avoiding visiting relatives by going to WalMart, then sitting in my car eating junk food as I waited for them to leave the house. Not at all.

But they're the reason I'm not able to update as easily. It gets super loud and busy and eventually SOMEONE needs my attention. But I'm antisocial by nature, so I dunno what they expect :)

Hope you liked it :D And I hope emotions are being realistically displayed...

Jen


	10. Part Ten

|-|Nothing is Forever|-|

|Part Ten|

"So," Hideki said seriously, concentrating on the air in front of him. "I've got a plan."

He didn't get many responses. Taichi completely ignored him, Aiko glanced up at him, and Tamiko was thinking about something else entirely. There was also the problem of only his head being visible while his body was safely hidden in a bush.

"For our summer break," he continued. "You know, the thing we get each year?"

"Mhmm," Aiko said, albeit a bit reluctantly. Taichi kept ignoring him, though Tamiko had snapped to attention.

"Here's the plan," he said, determination coloring his tone. "Everyone joins me to get a job this summer."

"_Denied_," Taichi said loudly without looking up.

Hideki looked shocked.

"What he means to say is that he politely declines," Aiko said, trying not to grin. Taichi rolled his eyes, more involved with his lunch than the conversation at hand.

"What kind of job is it?" Tamiko asked, her eyes still slightly glazed over from her previous thoughts.

At this, Hideki perked up. "It's a little store that sells all sorts of random junk," he said. "Mostly clothes, I guess, but also touristy stuff. I've worked there every summer, when they need people for a short time, so I know the boss pretty well. I could get'cha jobs, no problem."

Tamiko swung her legs out in front of her, thinking. With an entire summer ahead of her, and Sai off on a mission for who-knew-when, a distraction would make it seem a little more pleasant. "I'll have to ask my parents," she said.

Aiko sighed. "If you can get us in, I guess we could help you out," she said.

"Instead of looking at it like helping me out, you could see it more like us getting to hang out this summer!" Hideki exclaimed.

"And if Tamiko can get permission, then we really could," Aiko said thoughtfully. It was only a few days ago they had been discussing the very problem from the last summer break.

Taichi frowned, knowing he'd get pulled in regardless.

"_Hideki!_" the voice of a teacher came from somewhere.

Almost immediately, the boy's head disappeared among the leaves.

* * *

><p>Her mother's lips were pursed. It was a sign she disapproved, but without an immediate answer, Tamiko wasn't sure what her mother was thinking. The air was tense and quiet.<p>

"I'll discuss this with your father," she said. "He should be home soon."

Tamiko's expression brightened; she had a better chance since the idea hadn't been denied right away.

Studying her daughter's face, her mother straightened further. "Now who is this person who will be ensuring you a job?" she asked.

"Hideki," Tamiko said. "He's really smart with school and the teachers are always trying to make him do more than us. They want him to take all sorts of tests and fill out forms for I-don't-know-what, but he's an incredible student." She was aware that she was rambling, but she really wanted to be able to hang out with her friends this summer.

"How long have you known him?" she asked, her voice showing no emotion.

Tamiko's brown eyes flickered upwards for a moment. "About three years," she said. "It was around the time he enrolled."

"Had he recently moved here at that time?" her mother asked. This was a sign that she was flipping through a list in her head, one that had every person she knew, their addresses, and roughly the time they came to the village.

Tamiko wasn't sure how to answer. "I'm not sure," she said, resisting the urge to shrug. "He never really mentioned it. But he's said that his family owns a farm, I think."

An eyebrow was raised, showing that her list had been narrowed down significantly. The next question surprised her, though. "And you trust this boy's judgment?" she asked.

Tamiko nodded right away. "He wouldn't put any of his friends in a dangerous situation," she said. She bit back the words on how he knew about her situation as well.

Once she was dismissed, she immediately went outside before remembering he wouldn't be there. Tamiko frowned when she had hesitated. She had gone plenty of times before he came, why was she thinking there wasn't a point to go to the pond when he wasn't going to be there?

It was dreadfully boring, that was why. The forest felt empty. After staying there a little while, she turned back and headed towards the house again.

Upon arriving, a servant girl told her that her parents wished to see her. They had reached a decision on her request to work alongside her friends.

And it was a yes.

* * *

><p>Kind of short, but it's incredibly hard to write when you have a song stuck in your head (Float On by Modest Mouse, kickass song! XD)<p>

I feel like from here on out, the plot will start to rise a little bit. I was thinking of ending it at 20, but I might make it to 25 depending on the ending. Muahaha.

Hope you liked it, but I won't ever know unless I get a response (hint hint, cough cough)

Jen


	11. Part Eleven

|-|Nothing is Forever|-|

|Part Eleven|

"So this is my house," Hideki said, gesturing to their surroundings. It was a small, rustic looking home sitting at the very front of a farm. Nobody was in sight, so they guessed they were either out working the fields or simply away from the home.

"I like it," Aiko declared, looking around as soon as they walked through the front door. A picture frame sitting on a table held a photograph of a large family. It immediately caught Taichi's attention.

"They're out shopping," Hideki explained once he saw his friend staring at it.

Taichi nodded, but didn't say anything. A brown-striped cat came out from somewhere, meowing and winding his way between Hideki's legs.

"Hey there, Moo-Moo!" the boy exclaimed happily. He reached down to pick him up.

"Moo-Moo?" Taichi repeated blankly.

Hideki held out his cat. "Yeah! Moxie-Moo-Moo," he said, making him wave a paw at them.

"No comment," Taichi said.

* * *

><p>The woman stared down at them warily through narrow glasses. "And these are <em>your <em>friends?" she asked, glancing at Hideki before returning her doubtful gaze to them.

He nodded, grinning. "Yup!" he said. "It's only for the summer break, but they'll do their best and everything!"

His boss frowned slightly, making her squint a little. Tamiko shifted nervously under her stare. "Alright," she said at last, heaving what seemed like a regrettable sigh. "I'll have you trained a little on some simple stuff, but if you feel comfortable with it, the register isn't that hard to learn."

They followed her around as she gave them a tour of the shop, listening as she told them the rules, and eventually accepting their simple uniforms from her. As she had said, it wasn't that difficult: greet every customer you see, thank them as they leave, keep everything clean, don't make the customer wait for very long, and do not be rude.

"This doesn't seem so bad," Aiko said as the girls were changing in a separate room. She quickly pulled the light blue shirt over her head. "It's straightforward and mostly common sense. It seems pretty relaxed, too, so we can enjoy ourselves a bit while earning money!"

Tamiko agreed. "I'm glad my parents said yes," she said as she starting tying her shoes. "I was sort of surprised. Normally they don't like me doing such strange things."

Aiko shrugged. "Maybe they're slowly turning into normal human beings," she said.

The two of them walked out to see Taichi, dressed and ready, waiting for them. His nametag—something they had forgotten—was already in place.

"Let's get this started, then," he said, not looking enthusiastic in the least.

* * *

><p>After only a couple days, they had figured out why the boss had been skeptical about Hideki's friends working there: he slacked off constantly. And after a couple of weeks, they began feeling more comfortable with their roles in the store.<p>

"Hello!" Aiko said cheerfully from behind the register. She had grown fond of talking to the random customers that would pass through. It was easy for her to start up a conversation with anyone while she rang up their merchandise.

Tamiko felt awkward when she talked to strangers. It was as if her brain had gone into panic mode and she couldn't think of how to keep a conversation going. So, a bit happily, she had resigned herself to cleaning up the store by folding clothes or putting things away.

"Can't they pick up after themselves?" Taichi mumbled, coming out of a fitting room, a load of clothes in his arms.

Tamiko shrugged. "Maybe they were in a hurry," she suggested.

"If you're in a hurry, you shouldn't stop to buy clothes," he said, rolling his eyes. "And at least bring it out of the room and into the stupid basket provided. Jeez, they can't be _that_ lazy."

She just smiled and took the pile from him. It was their routine for her to fold and him to put away. It also let her mind wander a bit.

After putting a stack away, Taichi returned. "And I don't know where the hell Hideki went, but wasn't this his idea?" he continued ranting. "I mean, yesterday I saw him pretending to search for hangers under the benches in the fitting rooms, but I haven't seen him behind the register or putting stuff away."

Tamiko looked up and scanned the store. It was true, he was usually never around. "Isn't that him over there?" she asked, pointing to her far left.

Hideki stood there, straightening a stack of shirts. As a customer passed by, he merely glanced up at the woman before returning to his work. The boss, who had been lurking nearby, noticed immediately.

"Hideki, why didn't you greet that customer?" she asked.

He looked only a bit startled at her sudden appearance. His answer, however, was quick.

"Well, we sort of saw each other and then there was this mutual understanding of, 'oh, she doesn't need help.'"

"_Hideki_."

* * *

><p>Short update last time equals faster update this time? Yeah?<p>

So who thinks I can finish this story in three weeks? I'm going to try, cause classes start around that time, and then updating might just go down the drain...

Hope you liked it :D I think you'll definitely like the next one (hopefully?)

Jen


	12. Part Twelve

|-|Nothing is Forever|-|

|Part Twelve|

Taichi threw down the stack of clothes he had been refolding and marched over to Hideki. "I _just_ fixed that pile," he growled.

"Oh, really?" Hideki said innocently. He had been straightening an already perfectly fine stack of clothes.

"_Yes_," Taichi said through gritted teeth. "Now go help Tamiko by actually _doing_ something. She'll give you stuff to put away." With that said, he went back to folding clothes.

Sighing, Hideki reluctantly walked over to a spaced out Tamiko. She had been thinking about how many days and weeks had passed. Summer break would be over soon.

The black haired boy took a stack—a small one, but a stack—and began making his way around the store, placing them where they needed to go. About halfway through, he remembered they needed to be sized in, but didn't go back to fix his mistake.

The store wasn't very big, so most of it could be seen from someone walking past outside. And that was exactly what somebody was doing. Hideki squinted a little, curious, but shrugged and continued his work.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Sai!" Naruto shouted, several steps ahead of him. "What'cha doing? Sakura was talking to you."<p>

His eyes didn't allow for an explanation; they were empty of emotion. It was what he had been trained to do since little on. But just a single glance inside a store had him stop walking.

Sakura frowned, retracing her steps so that she was back beside her team member. "See something you like?" she asked.

"Maybe," he said softly, more to himself than to her, and walked inside.

"Hey!" Naruto exclaimed, jogging up behind Sakura.

Tamiko glanced up, eyes glazed over from thought, and back down only to jerk her head up again.

"Ah, it is you," he said as soon as he was close enough to be heard.

She stared at him blankly for a moment before she found some words. "Uh, mission over?" she asked. "Or…Or just visiting?"

"Both," he said, looking around the store. He then smiled at her. "The mission is over and we've stopped by on our way back to Konoha."

Sakura and Naruto, hiding behind a shelf, peeked around it as they tried to listen in.

"Whoa, she's kinda cute," Naruto said, eyebrows disappearing under his forehead protector.

"She looks nice," Sakura agreed. "She doesn't give me the impression she'd hurt him. There isn't much to hurt, though…"

"Psst," Naruto whispered as he pointed across the way. "Who are they?"

On the other side, Aiko and Taichi were staring curiously at Sai from over a rack of clothes.

"I'm leaving," Taichi said, looking bored. He had only been mildly interested, but Aiko had insisted.

"No," she said, her grip on his arm deadly. "I need to see if them seeing each other all the time is a good thing. What if he's a jerk and she doesn't realize it? As her friends, we need to make sure she isn't getting into trouble."

Taichi sighed, looking over at the blonde and pink head that were doing exactly what they were doing.

"He seems a little weird," Aiko said, squinting at the taller boy. "Cute, definitely cute, possibly hot, even, but he gives a weird vibe. What do you think?"

Taichi stifled a yawn. "What, that he's hot or weird?"

Aiko elbowed him in the gut.

"We should get going," Sai said. "We were only stopping by. If we are late, there might be trouble."

Tamiko tried to not look so disappointed at this. "Okay," she said, smiling politely. "Maybe we'll see each other later?"

He nodded. "We have paperwork to be done, but maybe afterwards," he said, a strange look passing over his face. "I have something I'd like to give you, so whenever you have time…"

At this, her heart leapt upwards. "Okay," she said again, smiling brighter than before.

He lowered his head slightly as a goodbye before leaving the store. Sakura and Naruto were quick to follow.

"Hey, that was kind of cold, wasn't it?" Naruto said, frowning at his friend.

"What was?" Sai asked, looking surprised.

"_That_," he said, gesturing to the store. "All you did was talk and then leave. No real smile or excitement!"

Sakura had to agree with the blonde. "It was pretty obvious to see that she was excited about meeting you again," she said.

"She was?" he asked, looking back into the store. She was quietly working on the clothes again.

They both nodded.

He hesitated. "Should…should I tell her goodbye with more emotion?" he asked. He almost sounded nervous, but it came out sounding unsure.

"It would have been better," Naruto said, putting both hands on the back of his head.

Without another word, Sai walked back into the store.

"Hey, I meant you should have!" Naruto tried shouting, but his words went unheard.

Tamiko was startled to see Sai standing in front of her once again.

"I'm sorry," he said, bowing. "I enjoy meeting with you as well. I didn't mean to come off as unfeeling."

Confused, but also a little elated, Tamiko hurriedly said, "You didn't sound like that at all."

He smiled at her, holding out a hand. "Then I will go," he said.

She smiled back, placing her hand in his, prepared for a handshake.

Instead, he pulled her in for a stiff sort of hug. Her face was pressed against his chest suddenly, her head coming very close to under his chin. He didn't let go right away, so she tentatively put her arms around the small of his back. With his midriff shirt, her hands made direct contact with his skin. Being so pale, she nearly expected him to be cold, but it was the opposite.

With them so close, it was nearly impossible for him not to notice her heart thumping like nuts. His, on the other hand, seemed mostly steady.

In reality, it had only lasted a few moments, but being so nervous had made it feel much longer. The hug ended, they said their goodbyes, and he left a glowing red Tamiko unable to fold clothes.

* * *

><p>You see, when <em>I'm<em> excited for the ending, I feel the need to _just keep writing_. Hence the faster updates. Ehh, but it's still a bit away from the end. And I'm not sure if I'm happy with it, either, so it might get tweaked a little.

Also, can anyone tell what my job is? Eh? XD

Hope you liked a little improvement! And, uh, possible character development?

Jen


	13. Part Thirteen

|-|Nothing is Forever|-|

|Part Thirteen|

The end of summer break meant the end of working, as well. School reluctantly started up once again, much to the disappointment of the students. Leaves began changing colors at a sluggish rate, as if the trees weren't looking forward to their long slumber during winter.

The students, feeling the same as the trees, trudged to school as if they had to battle their way through a pool of maple syrup. It was tough. Their minds did not want to accept the new information their teachers were about to present them with.

Tamiko wasn't one of these students. While her mind was not processing new information, she walked about in a way that told others she was not aware of her surroundings. Several people had to get out of her way, for her mind was simply not there at the time.

Taichi frowned, not liking his friend's behavior at all.

"At least we know the cause," Aiko commented. "But I wonder if that boy really is good for her health. At the store, he seemed a little off."

Hideki loomed over their shoulders, his black hair falling forward. "She's gonna have a hard time acting normal around her folks," he said, nodding with a serious face.

Taichi gave him a wary look. "Do you even know what we're talking about?" he asked, irritated.

"Nope," Hideki replied cheerfully, straightening up. "But if she keeps almost walking into doors, she's gonna have a hard time with her parents. I heard they're a bunch of dicks."

Aiko smacked him with a notebook.

"Pardon the language!" he said loudly, fending off her attacks with his arm. "Pardon the language!"

"_Hideki_."

The boy looked up, turning his head abruptly in the direction the voice had come from like a cat, and took off running. The very same teacher, with all her unfortunate weight, came barreling down the hallways.

Aiko and Taichi immediately flattened themselves against the wall, much like the other students.

* * *

><p>After changing, Tamiko was quick to pull on her shoes. With a little spring in her step, she walked out the sliding door and onto the grass.<p>

"Tamiko."

She whirled around, surprised at the sudden sound of her name.

"Where are you going?" her father asked, frowning.

"For a walk," she replied, smiling.

The frown deepened. "You've been going for walks many times," he commented. "Is there something you enjoy seeing out there?"

Her smile seemed stuck for a moment; he had caught on to her elated behavior. "Just the usual," she replied. "Trees—love the smell of trees—and ponds and rivers and such. It's a wonderful place to think."

His expression relaxed, making her shoulders do so as well. "Don't stay out too late, then," he said as he turned to go back inside.

"I won't," was her reply. In a matter of seconds, she was already on her way towards the trees.

Upon arriving at their spot—she really could call it that. _Their_ spot. She almost giggled to herself. Anywho, when she reached the pond, he was already sitting there. Leaning against a tree, with spotted sunlight moving over his pale skin, he seemed unreal.

She was suddenly unsure of how to greet him. She didn't worry for too long, however, as he stood up.

"You came," he said, giving her a smile.

Tamiko nodded. "How was your mission?" she asked.

"It went well," he said, looking off to the side. "I can't give you any details until the matter is cleared up, but it was successful."

"That's good," she said before deciding to plop down on the ground. "Anything for the Leaf, yes?"

His smile suddenly softened and his eyes lowered. "Yes," he said, lowering himself to the ground as well.

She was about to ask if he was alright, for suddenly he looked sad, but he quickly looked up at her.

"I nearly forgot," he said, pulling his backpack off and in front of him. "I have something for you." He rifled through his belongings. "It's not much…" He pulled out a sheet of paper, black eyes sweeping over it for a moment, before handing it to her.

Her fingers brushed against his as she took it from him, the contact nearly making her drop it. Brown eyes widened at what was inked on the page. "It's lovely," she said in a hushed tone, tracing the lines with her forefinger.

"I saw it during the mission," Sai explained. "So I drew it on a break."

Tamiko smiled; the flower was adorable and gorgeous at the same time. "Thank you," she murmured, still taking in the drawing.

Sai smiled again, his shoulders dropping subconsciously.

* * *

><p>Please don't kill me :( I have good reasons for not updating! The most important one being school...but now I'm sick, so killing me is just sad...lol but rereading this, I can tell I'm sick. Especially with my vague Rocky Rickaby reference...<p>

But really, it's 4:37 in the morning, I'm coughing, sniffling, sneezing, and FREEZING, and I've only gotten about two hours of sleep. I've discovered that doctors LIE and that my roommate might be potentially evil, having given me bronchitis. I am a miserable human being.

So if this lacks sense, I'm reaaaally sorry. If it makes sense, then awesome :D I hoped you liked it?

Jen


	14. Part Fourteen

|-|Nothing is Forever|-|

|Part Fourteen|

Tamiko pulled on her kimono, fingertips brushing against the elegant fabric of the sleeve. Green butterflies stood out against the deep violet color it had. She delayed her dressing to trace a wing, wondering how a particular artist would capture this print. It had simple lines, but it matched the others with unnerving perfection. His wouldn't.

A sigh pushed itself out of her mouth as she finished tying up her kimono. Once everything was in place, she brushed out her hair. A servant girl came in to fix it up in a fashion that took about fifteen minutes to do, yet only seconds to take down.

As the girl was taking blonde locks and twisting them this way and that, Tamiko sighed again.

"Are you excited?" the girl murmured. She hadn't been granted permission to talk, but then, Tamiko didn't enforce her father's rules.

"No," Tamiko replied sullenly. "If I were excited, I'd be asking you to hurry up."

The girl's fingers faltered for a moment. "So now you are dreading this?" she asked after a small amount of hesitation.

Tamiko didn't get a chance to answer when door slid open and an older servant, bowing, announced that her mother wanted her finished and waiting at the front in five minutes. Instead of retreating back to wherever she had come from, she stood, resolute, in the doorway.

The younger girl flinched under her stare, her fingers fumbling as she hurried to finish quickly.

Tamiko rose with another sigh, unperturbed by the older woman, and went to where she was supposed to go.

The guests that day were typical. The man was a jittery sort while the woman seemed the most composed, albeit the usual compliments she dished out whenever she could. And the son? He was yet another typical boy. His looks were average and there wasn't anything he really excelled in. Nothing stood out about them.

Everything was for decoration, for show. The polite smiles exchanged, the careful walk to the meeting room, and especially the way the tea was poured.

Tamiko and the boy were to stay silent as their parents treated them like animals. Who had what education? What would be exchanged, exactly, were they to marry? Which side had the better cow? Oh, right, it was their side. Tamiko's father was in charge.

As the normal questions and bartering were exchanged, her mind began to wander. At this time of day, what would Sai be doing? Maybe he would be off on some adventure, a mission, to rescue a Feudal Lord or some ancient scripture had been stolen and he needed to get it back.

He could be painting, too. She smiled a bit, thinking about the picture next to her bed. It was lovely. Anything he drew was lovely, so long as it came from him. If only she didn't have to partake in stupid marriage meetings. There was hardly a point. And—

Startled by this thought, she straightened her posture and decided to chew on the subject a little more. Why was she about to think that—no, she had to think about it some more. The feeling associated with it.

Tamiko had begun to think about meeting up with him after the marriage meeting, but that had given her a twist in her stomach. She loved meeting with him, though. This feeling wasn't something she liked. So why feel it?

Her brow furrowed a little. She didn't want to have to tell Sai that she had gone to another marriage meeting. She didn't want him to know that her father was still trying to get her married. She didn't want Sai to think of her as taken. She wanted Sai to want her. She liked Sai.

The sudden revelation had sent a heat to her face and she quickly looked up to see if anyone had noticed. It appeared nobody had, so her brown eyes returned to staring at the floor.

Tamiko liked Sai. She didn't want to get married to just anyone. Not anymore. Hell, had she really _ever_ wanted that?

"Thank you for joining us this evening," her father said, his voice crashing into her thoughts. "We will get back to you later this week."

It was another rejection. The parents looked hopeful, however. The boy seemed to be staring at a particular painting on the wall as if it was the most intricate thing he had ever seen. As everyone began to stand, he jumped to attention.

The walk out was practiced, too. It wasn't until the door was shut that any of them relaxed.

"Tamiko," her mother said, her voice chilly. Her father had already disappeared to see what they would be having for dinner that evening.

"Yes, mother?" she asked, unsure of what she had done wrong.

"You made us look like fools, you ignorant child," she said, glaring down at her. "At these meetings you are to pay attention. You looked like a dimwitted girl lost inside her own world. How are we supposed to be taken seriously when the daughter we are trying to marry appears less than what we say she is?"

Tamiko frowned at the floor, words slicing into her. It wasn't because her mother insulted her, it was because she had acknowledged the fact she was bartering her child.

"Maybe I don't want to get married," she muttered.

"Excuse me?" her mother said, her tone of voice implying she had heard.

Gathering the anger and courage she felt at the moment, knowing in the back of her mind she might regret it later, she said, "I don't want to get married."

"I hardly think—"

"I wasn't finished," Tamiko said, firm and loud. "I don't want to get married! I mean, who does? At this age? I don't want to marry someone I don't know!"

Her mother's lips disappeared as she pressed them together. "Is that your only complaint, then? Marrying somebody you don't know?" she asked. Her expression was hard to place.

"Pretty much," Tamiko said, frowning. The words seemed off, but she didn't know how to fix them. "I mean…Marrying a stranger? Who would? In this day."

Her mother stared at her, eyes blank, cold, and hard, before she walked away.

* * *

><p>Does this seem better quality to you? I sure hope so :)<p>

Lots of school, lots of driving, lots of orthodontist appointments...I'm going to be updating more. If you knew how quickly I feel like ending this series, you'd be bashing me over the head with a mop. Because...it won't be long. And I don't wanna drag it out.

Hope you liked it ^_^

Jen


	15. Part Fifteen

|-|Nothing is Forever|-|

|Part Fifteen|

It was early—much too early for school—yet she was already slipping on her shoes. Tamiko's parents were still tucked away in their beds and it would be a little while before any of the servants stirred. If she hurried, she could get out of there unseen.

Tamiko didn't want to have to see them; they didn't seem to want to see her every time they crossed paths. Her mother clicked her tongue, eyes narrowing. It was uncomfortable.

It would take her a while to walk to school, but she didn't want anyone to take her. She could do it on her own.

* * *

><p>When she returned, silence still weighed heavily on the house. Everyone refused to look her in the eye, which immediately sent alarms off in her head. Something was going to happen and she could bet everyone—the maids, chefs, and attendants—had been ordered to remain quiet.<p>

She walked to her room quickly, a tightness in her chest, like she couldn't breathe. After she changed into something more casual, Tamiko immediately made her way to the back door.

Her mother stood in her way, staring out the window. She turned slowly upon hearing her daughter's footsteps. Green eyes narrowed yet again, her posture impeccably straight, making her appear taller than she was. The image should have made anybody shake or change their path, but Tamiko brushed past her. She _had_ felt her stomach take a leap, but it wasn't going to stop her from seeing Sai.

"Tamiko," her mother called out suddenly, her voice piercing the silence.

She stopped, waiting, but didn't turn around.

"Come home early today," her mother said, an unrecognizable emotion in her voice.

Tamiko turned her head and nodded so she could see. Then without a word she began her trek into the forest, careless of twigs or branches that would cling to her.

Soft dirt squished under her shoes and she vaguely wondered if it had rained the previous night. Taking a deep breath, she walked to the pond. A quick look around told her he wasn't there. She hadn't expected him to; she was never this early.

"Hey there."

She turned her head a little to see Sai walk up, smiling. He had his sketchbook with him, as he had for the last few days when she mentioned how she enjoyed watching him draw. It was such a simple thing, for him to show up as predicted, as if nothing were wrong with the world.

She sighed. "Hi," she said dejectedly.

Picking up on her tone, Sai stopped walking. "Would you rather be alone?" he asked.

She shook her head, not wanting to speak.

Careful of where he stepped, Sai took his usual seat next to her. "Anything I can help with?" he asked, eyes wandering up as he remembered a few lines in a book Sakura had shown him.

"No," she said. "It's nothing really big, just that I got in a fight with my parents."

Sai quirked his head to the side and asked, "Was it about anything important?"

Tamiko hesitated before answering. "A little," she admitted. "A lot, maybe. I don't know." She put her head in her arms.

Glancing around, almost nervously, Sai flexed his fingers. In a somewhat robotic movement, he put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him. This was also in Sakura's book, but Tamiko didn't have to know that.

Surprised, the girl looked up at him.

"Not good?" he asked, a little worried if he had put too much trust into that book, having received it from a friend.

"It's fine," she said, pink coloring her cheeks.

They sat like that for a good five minutes. Sai wasn't sure what came next. Was he supposed to hold her until she got tired of it? Was he the one that was supposed to break contact first?

"I have something for you," he said as soon as his eyes landed on his sketchbook.

She pulled away from him, curious.

"You had liked the other drawing before, so I drew another one," he explained as he pulled out a sheet of paper. On it was another sketch of a different flower.

"It's beautiful," she said as she took it from him. She looked up, smiling. "Thank you!"

Relieved, he sat back and watched as her brown eyes took in the picture. A sudden idea struck him, and it had probably stemmed from the thought that she looked much happier than she did moments ago. "Let me draw you something," he said and pulled his art supplies closer. "Anything."

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Um," she said, biting on her lip. "Could…could you draw butterflies?"

His dark eyes moved to the right as he thought. Quicker than she thought possible, he had pulled out a sheet of paper, dipped his paintbrush into his ink, and drew some quick lines. "How is this?" he asked.

It was much simpler than any of his drawings she had seen so far. And she had been right: his butterflies weren't perfectly drawn. They were still lovelier than the ones printed on her kimono.

She nodded, smiling.

"Now watch this," he said and, before she could protest, set the page on the ground. He immediately formed his hands into weird positions when suddenly…the butterflies erupted from the page.

Too stunned for words, Tamiko stared as they flew into the air. Two dimensional had become three dimensional. Their papery wings rustled as they flew up and around her.

"This is amazing," she breathed.

His eyes were set on her. "I'm glad," he said.

She glanced at him, suddenly realizing that her mood had improved tenfold. Sai didn't have to cheer her up, but he had. She wasn't sure if it was intentional or unintentional, but that hardly mattered.

Tamiko swung her arms around the boy in a hug. "Thank you," she said again. Before he could respond, she promptly kissed him on the cheek.

* * *

><p>As Sai walked to the bridge in Konoha, his mind was troubled. As was his stomach, it seemed, which was the reason for his restless mind.<p>

Sakura was already waiting; they would be going on a mission that evening.

"You look confused," she commented.

At that moment, Naruto bounced over as an orange blob. "Who is confused?" he asked.

Sai opened his mouth to respond when Sakura cut him off. "Sai is," she said.

"Huh? How come?" Naruto asked, perching on a post.

"I don't know," Sai replied in his soft voice.

The blonde squinted at him. "Well, I can see why you're confused if you don't even know what you're confused about," he said. Thinking back on his words, he frowned and looked down.

As their friend was still trying to make sense of what he had just said, Sakura asked, "Well, what were you doing before coming here?"

"Visiting with Tamiko," Sai responded honestly.

"Ahh," the two said in sync.

The dark-haired boy frowned. "What?" he asked.

Sakura and Naruto exchanged amused looks before they both seemed to grin evilly at the other boy. It was time for interrogation.

* * *

><p>The sun had begun to slip past the horizon as Tamiko hurried to take off her shoes. She was supposed to get home early, which she hadn't, and it would be taken as another form of rebellion. Her mother might actually put her under house arrest if she thought it would 'fix' her.<p>

A servant girl came out of nowhere and took her arm, her face grim. She led her to her room where Tamiko was made to change clothes and fix her hair. This was only too familiar.

Had her words meant nothing to her mother?

As soon as the last bit of hair was put up, she marched to the front of the house angrily. It was another marriage meeting!

"There you are, Tamiko," her mother said, the same emotion coating her tone as it had before. "You will be having another meeting today."

As the family walked in, looking as out of place among the elegant furniture as cat in water, Tamiko's heart dropped somewhere into her stomach. She understood, now, what her mother's tone was. It was triumphant and arrogant. As she had always been and how she displayed it so blatantly now.

Walking behind his parents, staring around in awe, was Hideki.

* * *

><p>Didja expect that? :]<p>

I skipped class to write this...I'm a terrible person. But after writing the last part, I really wanted to get to this point. Mahaha.

Hope you liked it :) or...didn't, if you absolutely hate what's going to happen. I certainly don't like what's going to happen (muahahaha).

Jen


	16. Part Sixteen

|-|Nothing is Forever|-|

|Part Sixteen|

Tamiko's limbs felt frozen as she took a seat in the meeting room; they were stiff and working on autopilot. She barely registered the feeling of the cushion underneath her and she was beginning to feel concerned that her ears weren't working either, but no, nobody had talked. Nobody had begun to explain why such an act had been performed.

Hideki fidgeted with the sleeve of his shirt, tapped his fingers, and had begun to play with his black hair when his mother slapped his hand down. While her glare told him not to, she herself looked nervous.

Tamiko's father cleared his throat, calling everyone's attention.

"I feel like this is a good decision," he said.

Tamiko felt her stomach plummet. Never once had she heard him say these words. It hadn't even come close. Glancing at her mother, she knew that it had been decided beforehand.

"We understand that our daughter is close with your son in school," he continued. "Is this correct?"

Hideki's mother looked uncomfortable in the formal setting. The atmosphere also made it seem like an interrogation. "They are friends, yes," she said, glancing at her husband. "At school."

"And your son is constantly pursued by school officials to further his education," Tamiko's father stated. "Has he looked into the option?"

"Unfortunately, our family can't support him," Hideki's father answered, his head tilted upwards as if to challenge the other man to belittle him. Perhaps there was hope. "Financially," he explained further.

"His grades are excellent," Tamiko's father said. He interlaced his fingers and set them on the low table that separated the two families. "And he is in the same grade as our daughter. Not to mention, they already know each other."

Tamiko tensed up.

"We have found that he would be an excellent match for our daughter. If you agree to this proposal, that your son would be willing to take over the company when I retire, then he would have his entire education paid for," her father stated. "This also means, of course, that we would accept you into our family. If you are, in fact, finding it difficult to bring food to the table, then you wouldn't have to worry anymore. Everything would be taken care of."

There it was: the bait. She stared at her hands, unwilling to look up and see what might be written on Hideki's face. Would it be hope?

His parents were silent for a long time. "This offer is…absurdly generous," his father replied. "What guarantee do you have that he will be suitable for your company?"

"He does well in mathematics, logistics, grammar—everything needed for this company," he said. "Your son has an incredibly smart head on his shoulders. His talents would benefit us greatly."

Her father had always known how to make it appear like it would be advantageous to both sides. There weren't any flaws, no hidden motives. He made everything clear.

There was another small silence. "And if we agree here and now, it's a done deal?" his father asked. "They'd be engaged? Or is this something you need to think about? We've heard about how many marriage meetings you set up."

This was an unexpected turn. Tamiko almost looked up to see what expression her father wore at that moment. Instead, she stared at a loose string on her sleeve with an unwavering gaze, barely breathing.

"They would be engaged," was his reply.

Her heart felt as though it would stop beating. If she didn't take a breath, it might just do that.

"Then it's a deal," Hideki's father stated, sealing the gloom in Tamiko's head. "Hideki will marry into your family and take over your company when you retire. Right, Hideki?"

There was a pause and Tamiko dug her nails into her palms. "Uh," Hideki said.

"There," his father interrupted, taking it as an agreement.

Having everything said and done, Tamiko and her parents walked them to the door. As a change, her parents watched the others leave, waving at the beginning.

"Why?" Tamiko muttered, staring at her feet. The others were out of earshot.

"Why ever not?" her mother replied, her head still high as she watched them go. "You two know each other, right?"

Tamiko shot her head up, staring in disbelief.

Her mother's mouth curved upwards into a smirk and turned away from the door. Her father followed after.

Tamiko looked out the door for the first time, watching Hideki trail behind his parents. Suddenly, he glanced behind him. As if surprised to see her finally looking, he gave her a desperately apologetic look.

She stood, transfixed and horrified, when he had turned around. Long after they left.

This was all her fault.

* * *

><p>It's a gettin there...Eh. I don't like this part. I was irritated while writing it.<p>

Blah.

Jen


	17. Part Seventeen

|-|Nothing is Forever|-|

|Part Seventeen|

Tamiko walked sloppily through the puddles of rainwater, head bent down in thought. Dirty water sloshed over her boots and onto her clothes, but she didn't care. Her mind was furiously trying to figure out a solution, a way to escape from her predicament. She needed a solution that would help Hideki, too, who had been thrown into the situation at the whim of her parents.

Thinking about it, they had probably started looking into his background when they noticed him waving at her. Concerned for their daughter's reputation, they didn't want just anyone to talk to her. His grades and the way teachers pursued him must have silenced their disapproval, because they certainly didn't tell her to stay away from him. Unfortunately, it had also given them an opportunity to corner their rebellious daughter.

She frowned, stomping through a particularly deep puddle. Rebellious didn't seem to fit. She had merely shown them that she was a person who had limits. Being forced into a marriage had pushed them, so she had pushed back. That was all.

Having arrived at school, Tamiko stared up at the building with her hair and clothes sodden with the rain. There wasn't much point in going to class, was there? After all, she was getting an education for who-knew-what. She was going to be married to Hideki. He would be busy with her father's company. And her? She'd probably end up like her mother.

Just as she was turning away from the building, a hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Hey there!" Aiko chirped, despite the gloomy weather.

"Do you just like the rain?" Taichi asked from her left. They had arrived together.

"You're soaking wet!" Aiko exclaimed.

"Which is why I—never mind," Taichi said, breathing out in frustration. Aiko sent him a glare.

"No, I just didn't want to be escorted here," Tamiko replied, smiling at her friends. No matter the circumstances, they could always bring back the sense of normalcy.

"And you didn't think to grab an umbrella?" Taichi asked, guiding them inside, where it was warm and brightly lit. "Or at least something with a hood? Preferably water-proof, but, you know." He shrugged with his sarcastic ending.

Tamiko offered him a half-smile. "Nope," she said. "Didn't think that far ahead."

"Hm." Taichi gave her an uncertain sideways look but didn't question any further.

* * *

><p>After the first class, Tamiko realized that it was a day no new information could enter her mind and possibly attach itself somewhere. It was as if her brain had soaked up all the rain that had fallen on her head and there was simply no room for anything else. Her head was lightly throbbing.<p>

"So guess what."

"What?"

"I wasn't asking _you_," Aiko said, giving Taichi a dirty look. He returned it when she wasn't looking.

"What?" Tamiko asked, smiling.

"I received an invitation to a party," she said as she spread a napkin over her lap and proceeded to unpack her lunch.

Taichi frowned. "What party?" he asked.

Tamiko's sense of dread was confirmed when Aiko locked eyes with hers. "An engagement party," she answered before taking a delicate bite of her rice ball.

Understanding the exchange between the two girls, Taichi's frown deepened. "Really?" he asked, lowering his own lunch to stare at the blonde. "_Really_? Who did they finally deem appropriate?"

Tamiko didn't want to answer. She focused her gaze on her hands, wishing the subject of the discussion would dissipate into the air.

"Me," Hideki spoke up, having settled himself in a tree branch, despite the wet weather.

Aiko's eyes widened dramatically as she whipped her head back and forth between the unusually moody boy in the tree to the depressed girl across from her. "_Really?_" she exclaimed, her voice going several tones higher than it should.

After taking Tamiko's look of shame as an answer, Taichi shook his head. "I feel so sorry for you," he said to her. "I mean really. Hideki? Of all the wonderfully normal people out there, they chose _Hideki_?"

"Hey!" the black-haired boy exclaimed, nearly falling off his branch.

Aiko gave her friend a soft look, wondering how this would all turn out. She liked another boy, after all.

On their way back to the school, a teacher calmly walked up to Hideki, which created an uncomfortable atmosphere. It was evident on both their faces, in that moment, that it was unusual and they didn't like it.

As a reaction, Hideki had turned, fully prepared to make off like the wind. Then suddenly it was as if a light clicked on in his head and he stopped, obediently walking with the teacher to the office. Taichi and Aiko exchanged looks. This had gone beyond strange.

* * *

><p>Lots of thought and not a whole lot of action, but...hope you liked it? Or didn't, considering the content...Eh.<p>

I'm considering ending it at 20, but I may or may not have a sort of epilogue. I have a this sense of foreboding and that I'll get mixed feelings about how I plan to end it. Reviews are always appreciated! ^_^ they help me make life-changing decisions! No, really, they do!

Jen


	18. Part Eighteen

|-|Nothing is Forever|-|

|Part Eighteen|

The feeling in Sai's gut was warm, maybe a little spirited. He wasn't thinking so much about why he felt that way, just focusing on the feeling itself. There was a spring in his step he couldn't explain, but there wasn't any need for an explanation anyways.

"What are you so happy about?" Naruto asked.

Scratch that, now he needed one. "I look happy?" he asked. It was a safe question; put it back into Naruto's hands.

"Yeah," the blonde said, giving him a strange look. "It's weird."

Sai smiled. "How so?" he asked.

Naruto's shoulders went up. "It just is," he said, his attention drifting towards their surroundings, which were the streets in Konoha. Sai was particularly glad the boy had a limited attention span; it meant he didn't have to find an answer.

"Have you finished preparing?" Sai asked, having found a topic he could swiftly transition to. The next mission would be a long one and, if they did it correctly, would earn them quite a bit of money.

"Nah, I usually do that morning of," the blonde replied. "That way I don't spend too much time trying to pick which ramen to take with me. When it really gets down to it, it's between beef and pork. Which do you think is better?"

Sai smiled again, trying to make it look apologetic. "I wouldn't know," he said. "I've never thought it important."

Naruto gave him something close to an evil eye. "Well, yeah," he huffed. "You're abnormal."

Sai couldn't argue with that, though he was fairly certain that their other teammate would say the same about Naruto. A glance up at the sky told him of the time. Soon, he would have to excuse himself. The warm feeling came back as he thought about it.

* * *

><p>After a full day of awkward interactions and a head drowning in thought, Tamiko was relieved to walk home by herself. She had ignored the escort waiting by the gate, instead looping around the back and a little off the road. The walk didn't help clear her head much.<p>

Questions and answers went round and round in her head. Once she thought of a possible solution, another scenario crushed it for her. After the meeting with Hideki and his parents, Tamiko's father had decided to push ahead with the wedding.

Her mother had already organized an engagement party and was working towards the date of the actual event. Tamiko never believed her mother could work so fast. Colors, themes, and guests had been picked, arranged, and written down. Their house, which was usually so dark and quiet, was now bustling with sound and activity.

It was why Tamiko avoided the house altogether, marching through the dry leaves and dirt to the back. She didn't need to change her clothes; she just needed to get away. She knew avoiding everything wasn't the right thing to do, but she had been trying to think out every possible loophole.

Yellowed leaves fluttered to the ground with an occasional, light breeze. When a stronger one came, it picked up the ones on the ground, swirling them through the air. It made Tamiko want to reach her destination all the more.

The area by the pond was dark and…empty. She looked around, hoping that he would be sitting by the water, sketching, or relaxed in a tree, but there were only the fluttering leaves.

If anything, Sai would have been the steady rock she could have held on to, in the chaos that had become her life. Maybe the questions in her mind would have stopped, maybe she could have calmed down. But he wasn't there, and she didn't know what to do.

Mindlessly, she walked to her usual spot by the pond and crumpled. Tears welled up, spilling down her cheeks. She let out a cry before burying her head in her arm. She was going to marry Hideki, but she liked Sai. And there was nothing she could do.

"Tamiko?"

She jerked her head up, staring a dark, blurred shape of a man.

"Are you okay?" he asked carefully, pushing a branch out of the way as he walked toward her.

Tamiko got up sloppily and flung her arms around him. "I thought you wouldn't come!" she wailed, her tears coming more forceful than before.

Surprised and confused, Sai hugged her back. "Is this why you're upset?" he asked.

"Yes!" she sobbed. "And…" She sniffed, her hold around him loosening. He pulled back, trying to look into her face, as she wiped her cheeks with a sleeve. "I'm going to be married."

Tamiko felt disheartened when his face showed nothing. "To whom?" he asked.

She frowned, hating the idea. "Hideki," she muttered, having calmed down some. "He's a friend. But he doesn't want to either! Our parents agreed and now mine are making all sorts of plans and…and I just feel so useless! I can't figure out a way to stop it!"

Sai was silent a moment. "Here, why don't we sit down," he said as he guided her to a rock. "And tell me everything, starting from the beginning."

And so she did. It didn't take too long, but by the end of it, she had stopped sniffling and had leaned into Sai for support. The wind had calmed down, too.

"This Hideki is only a friend?" Sai asked. "What do you feel for him?"

She sighed, staring at her hands. "He's a good person—honest, he is—but I don't like him any more than a friend," she said. Her voice had taken on an empty tone.

A quiet fell on them and Tamiko was feeling content, leaning against him, despite the slight chill in the air from the change from summer to autumn. She felt she could be lulled to sleep from the safe feeling.

But then he shifted so that she needed to sit up. She turned to look at him, maybe to ask him a question, maybe to just see his expression, when he cupped the side of her face and pressed his lips against hers.

"Do you also think of me as a friend?" Sai asked, dark eyes staring into hers, completely and utterly focused on her.

* * *

><p>Does this give you a gushy feeling in your tummy? I'm not all too confident in expressing emotions -_- so I hope the crying and the smooching were realistic. I've had German swimming in my head all day. It's midterm time, so I wrote this in an attempt to get back to English :P I nearly wrote "Achtzehn" instead of "Eighteen" at the top. I certainly said it in my head as I was typing!<p>

I do have to question myself, though. Then again, I guess Sai IS abnormal. Psh, asking a girl if she thinks of him as a friend AFTER kissing her. M'hm. I almost feel like drawing them :P If anyone would be interested, I'd draw them.

Ich habe kopfschmerzen. NEEEEIIIIIN! NICHT DEUTSCH! D:

Hope you liked it :D FEEDBACK IS INCREDIBLY AWESOME! It's like candy :)

Jen

PS: I wonder how many people actually read through these things...


	19. Part Nineteen

**|-|Nothing is Forever|-|**

**|Part Nineteen|**

It took Tamiko what felt like ages to fall asleep. Her mind swirled around with conflicting thoughts and before she knew it, she was waking up to the sunlight coming in through her window. Sitting up, she pushed her blonde hair from her face and felt the small pulse of the headache she had had the night before. This situation was going nowhere fast.

The house was quiet as she dressed for school. If she didn't leave soon, her mother would be there, waiting. It wasn't something she was prepared for. As soon as her teeth were brushed and her hair put together, she slipped out the back door with her bag. It would be a long walk.

The fall season was coming quickly, she noted, as she pulled her jacket on. The idea of running away had come to her before, but there was really nothing to run to. She couldn't assume Sai would let her in, even if she knew where he lived. He had kissed her, sure, but there was no guarantee.

This brought her mind back to the evening before and she bit down on her lips. What did that even _mean_? Did he like her? He hadn't said so, but maybe he didn't need to? Was she supposed to determine his feelings from a kiss? He had tried to kiss her before as thanks.

It was making her head spin again. At the rate this was going, maybe the best course of action would be to try living in the woods.

When she reached the school gate, her mind was on auto-pilot. She pushed the gate open and walked to her first class without care for anything or anyone in her path.

"I think she's broken," Aiko said as she took her seat in front of Tamiko.

"I'm not surprised," was Taichi's response. His bag made a loud thump when he dropped it next to his desk.

Tamiko looked up at them and an idea shot through her head. "If Aiko had to marry someone she didn't want to, what would you do?" she asked him.

"Huh?!" Taichi and Aiko asked in unison.

Tamiko just stared at them.

Flustered, Taichi frowned and scratched at his hair. "Bust down her door and rescue her?" he replied. "I dunno, maybe she doesn't want saving." He gave Aiko a pointed stare.

"What do you mean? Of course I'd want saving!" she snapped at him, crossing her arms. "But I doubt you could pull it off, so I'm doomed anyways."

Tamiko sighed and slipped down in her chair. "And what would you do to get out of it?" she asked Aiko.

Her friend stared at her, unsure. "I don't know," she said, her voice quiet. "If it were me, I'd bust down the door myself and run the hell away. But I know this isn't about me."

Taichi looked as if he wanted to say something, but was interrupted by the teacher's attempts at getting the classroom in order. Hideki slipped in five minutes late, begged the teacher for forgiveness, and sat down without a glance to his friends.

After class, during a longer break, Hideki approached her.

"Hey, can we talk?" he asked.

She nodded, trying to swallow the nervousness rising in her throat. They walked to the end of the hallway, up a few flights of stairs, until they were out on a ledge Tamiko had never noticed before.

"One thing about running away from teachers: you get creative with hiding places," Hideki explained as he tried to smile.

She couldn't say anything. She couldn't force a reaction.

The smile dropped and he looked at his feet, then out towards the sky. There were dark smudges under his eyes and his hair was disheveled.

"I wanted to say sorry," he said and guilt burned in Tamiko's cheeks.

"_I_ should be the one apologizing!" she finally said, the words bursting from her like they had been contained for far too long. "My family dragged you into this! I know it's not what you want!"

When he turned to look at her, the emotions that clouded his eyes mirrored what she had been feeling for a while. "I'm going to be honest here, okay?" he said. She nodded, so he continued. "I've always been running from teachers and stuff cause I don't want a higher education. My family doesn't have much, it's true, but it's not miserable. I love my family."

"I know, and that's why-"

"Let me finish," he interrupted. "I've never thought about what comes after school except for the farm. I never thought of 'oh hey, I probably want to start a family of my own.' Nothing like that. Then your dad just swings by and presents me with something that left my whole household stunned: a wife and a bigger future than any of us ever expected. Now, I just told you that I love my family and how I enjoy a simple life. This is going to sound incredibly horrible. Really, really horrible. After thinking about it, I figured it could be much worse."

A feeling was beginning to build in her stomach, and she wasn't sure she wanted to hear the rest.

"At least I know you, you know?" he said, though his expression looked painful. "My family has always come first, you know that. I was really planning on helping with the farm after school. My mom was talking about selling off land to pay for school fees, just so I could get a higher education." He laughed at this, the sound hollow. "It's a horrible thing. I know it's a horrible thought. But I _am_ poor, and the idea of being able to give my parents ease of mind puts _my _mind at rest. I also thought that this way, I save you the horror of marrying someone you don't know and, hey, at least I'm not ugly or smelly or something, right?"

Her tears had come somewhere in the middle of his speech, as she watched his careful expressions and knew what he thought about the actual marriage. He was thinking about his family, not about himself. He would be miserable, chained to the company. She clenched her fist so hard, her hand trembled. How could her parents take advantage of such a boy, to reel him in with money? He was worth so much more than that.

Hideki huffed, twisted his feet a bit, and put a hand on her head, giving her hair an awkward ruffle. "I'm sorry," he murmured, and walked back inside the building.

* * *

><p>I have discovered I am probably a terrible person. No, I AM a terrible person. I completely forgot about this in the midst of school and my own stories, and left with only TWO CHAPTERS TO GO. So here I am again, attempting to finish this.<p>

I know this was a shit-ton of Hideki and sadness, but...one chapter to go? And it'll prolly be loooong...

Jen


	20. Part Twenty

|-|Nothing is Forever|-|

|Part Twenty|

It was the day before the engagement party and Tamiko was putting one of her plans into effect. Yes, they were petty and no, they didn't do much, but Tamiko felt a little better; she was trying, at least. When she was informed to be ready for a kimono fitting, she hiked halfway through the woods, sat on a rock, and thought by herself for hours. When she found a stack of instructions set out on a table, she threw them in the fireplace.

And yet, despite all of her little fits and plans, the party was moving forward with full power. The colors had been picked, flower arrangements had arrived, and the food was being prepared. Even the kimono – a lovely blue thing with white butterflies – had been made; her parents had used her previous measurements. The room where the party would take place was locked, preventing her from tearing down the decor. She _had_ thought about setting the place on fire, but...yeah.

Tamiko was walking in the hallway that led to the kitchen when she was redirected towards the study. This gave her mind something new to think: if they don't want her in the kitchen, something must be going on. They didn't want her in there to mess it up. This, of course, made her want to get in there all the more.

"Tamiko, a word, if you will," her mother said, standing outside the study doors.

She ignored her, walking past without so much as a glance.

There were two ways into the kitchen, if you didn't count the windows – the door she just passed and the one accessible from the outside. She went the roundabout way, trying to make it seem like she was out for a walk. They were on to her. The hired help was giving her odd looks and the second entrance was barred as well. Frowning, she turned around the corner of the house and headed towards one of the windows. Ah. The main attraction. That's why they didn't want her in there.

A large cake was being decorated in the center of the kitchen, already set up on a wheeled table for easy transport. The blue and white theme was kept consistent, though she wondered what the cake was made out of. It certainly looked fragile. Tamiko imagined how it would look if she threw her whole body at it. Messy, she decided. And fantastic.

The window was shut tight, probably locked from the inside. _Hideki can hide himself pretty well_, Tamiko thought, _Where would he go if he thought he had to?_ Her eyes strayed to the trees – too far away. The crates in the corner? Too obvious. Then her eyes found the ventilation system.

A few minutes and a good deal of struggling later, Tamiko found herself wriggling through the dusty tunnels that crisscrossed throughout her house. God, she hoped her plan worked. Did this thing even go through the kitchen? It had to.

Right?

She kept her mouth closed as she passed something that looked either like a cobweb or a clump of dust. She _really_ hoped it worked. As she squirmed around a corner, she heard the noise of what sounded like a lot of busy people. She crawled a little more, looking for some sort of vent to look through, when her elbow went through the thin metal wall and she found herself falling into a crowd.

* * *

><p>"What were you even thinking?"<p>

Tamiko kept her head down, though it was hard to when her neck hurt whenever she bent it a certain way. Scrapes and bruises decorated her limbs. Her yukata was torn at the knees. Her wrist was hurting in a way she wasn't used to.

"Throughout the entire planning process, you have been nothing but trouble!" her mother continued. "You blatantly disobey your father and I, trouble the workers by doubling their work, and now you almost got yourself killed." Tamiko heard her sigh. "For the remainder of the time, you are to be chaperoned around the house."

"What?" Tamiko protested as she yanked her head up, sending bolts of pain through her neck. "That's the stupidest thing I've – "

"_Tamiko_," her mother snapped. "I am fed up with your behavior. You did this to yourself. Now go to your room, a servant will be with you shortly. And if you are not there when I come by, so help me, I _will_ lock you up. Do you understand me?"

Tamiko felt hatred brewing in her stomach. "Much more than you imagine," she muttered.

"Good, then go," she said and waved her away.

She turned on her heel and marched towards the door. Before she left, Tamiko turned and said, "Hideki doesn't deserve any of this. He deserves more than this stupid, disgusting household. No amount of money can measure up to him."

Her mother didn't even look at her.

Tamiko launched herself at the floor as soon as she was in her room. Groaning, she looked up at the ceiling and blinked away tears. Her 'destroy-the-cake' plan had been a failure of epic proportion. Instead of landing in the kitchen, like she had hoped, she had wound up falling in on her father during a meeting with some of his 'friends' in high places. Tamiko wasn't sure who they were exactly, but they were all dressed formally and looked very surprised to see a teenage girl fall from the ceiling.

She turned her head to look at her window – another painful motion – and contemplated the sort of freedom it offered. If she got away, where would she go? If she didn't, she'd get locked up for sure. She buried her head in a pillow and let out a groan. The groan turned into a scream of frustration. What could she do? Why weren't there any other options?

There was a knock. It wasn't from her door, however. This was from the front door, which her room was conveniently near enough to hear. She wouldn't have bothered putting much thought into it, considering the different sorts of people that had been showing up lately, but the servant who opened the door had begun to protest. This visitor wasn't welcome nor invited. Tamiko peeked out her door, but couldn't see anything.

Trying to be stealthy, she slipped out into the hallway and followed the voice of the troubled servant. Whoever it was, they hadn't talked. Most of the workers avoided her, which she gladly accepted. Best time ever to be unwanted. Her father's voice entered the fray and she ducked under a table, heart pounding. But they didn't go back her way. Instead, she heard a door shut. They had gone into her father's private study. This was becoming more and more interesting.

With her ear pressed up against the wood door, Tamiko tried to still her breathing. She focused on the notion of what a ninja might do, but her mind canceled that thought as she had no idea what that might be. They probably wouldn't be stuck in her position, anyways. They would have more options available to them, like spiffy technology or a window or a disguise. Tamiko settled with the inch of space at the bottom.

"You come barging into my home unannounced, troubling my staff, and you haven't said a word," her father said, his voice gruff, but in command. "Who are you and what do you want? If you weren't wearing that thing on your head, I could have my men detain you for trespassing."

Tamiko wondered what men he was talking about. She hadn't seen much of any security around the house. There was the occasional bodyguard, but he couldn't have been talking about them.

"I am sorry for troubling you, but there is a girl here that needs rescuing."

Tamiko's heart stuttered. The voice had been soft, but she recognized it.

"Rescuing?" her father said. She heard him sigh and walk around. "Is this about my daughter? I don't know how she got you mixed up in all of this, but I apologize. She's been a little hard to handle lately. I imagine she sent out a request of some sort."

"Not at all," Sai replied. "I've known her for quite some time, now. You are planning to have her married. I came to intervene."

The silence that followed was tight. Tamiko would bet money that her father's face was scrunched up in the middle, eyebrows sinking into a formidable frown.

"You came to what?"

There was a pause and Tamiko wondered if Sai was going to change his mind, apologize for intruding, but then he said, "To interfere, hinder your plans, stop what it is you are doing –"

"I know what intervene means!"

"Then why did you ask?"

Tamiko could hear her father inhale. She held back a giggle, because she knew Sai had probably said what he had with sincerity.

"If I could explain in a more direct way –"

"I wish you would," her father growled.

"I don't want you marrying Tamiko to anyone," Sai said.

"Are you telling me that you are asking to marry her?" her father asked.

"No," he replied. "I am saying that I will – if she agrees. She's been sitting outside the door since the beginning of this conversation."

Tamiko's first instinct was to run, back away, anything to get away from the door, but it swung open and she found her father's less-than-pleased face staring down at her. He jerked his head, signaling for her to join them. To her amazement, her mother had been sitting in the room as well. The woman gave her a look, as if reminding her about locking her in.

Then there was Sai, sitting at the desk in his usual ninja attire – the swords looked wonderfully intimidating. He looked up at her with a familiar expression and, for a moment, she thought his words had been a lie. He didn't _really_ want to marry her.

"And what makes you so sure that you are better suited for the role than the gentleman we have already picked out?" her mother asked. Tamiko's stomach rolled with disgust. It sounded like she was trying to start a bargain. If Sai managed to come out the winner, Hideki would be brushed off. This also wasn't fair. Tamiko wasn't sure what she wanted anymore.

Sai glanced at her before speaking. "I don't know much about this friend of hers," he started. "And I'm not going to put down my achievements for you to compare. I don't care about that." He looked at Tamiko then and gave her a half-smile that sent her chest fluttering. "I can't let you marry this guy, your friend, what's his name. I've discovered I've been infatuated with you for a long time now, probably before we kissed."

At the word 'kiss,' her mother's eyes widened as her father's face grew red.

"I've got a relatively steady job and, uh, shinobi marry all the time," he continued. "I've got my own apartment, a goldfish – "

"Now wait here!" her father interrupted. "Who said we agreed to such a thing?"

Sai blinked at them. "Nobody did," he replied.

"I want a son-in-law that will take over my business," her father said. "Not someone who already has a job!"

Sai's expression didn't change. "My job is very important," he said. "Much more important than a company run by a man who is ignorant of his own child's voice. I work directly for the government, making sure people like you are protected from possible enemies. I see no reason to give up my position."

"Then who do you suppose will run my company?" her father asked, his tone somewhat sarcastic.

"That's none of my concern," Sai replied. "I'm only here because I won't allow Tamiko to marry anyone other than myself, unless she wants otherwise." He turned to her, which sent another wave of butterflies to her chest. "Do you?"

Tamiko opened her mouth. Then closed it again. The opened it. She was beginning to feel like her jaw was unhinged, like a puppet's. "Uh, do I want otherwise or do I want to marry you?" she asked.

He smiled. "Do you want otherwise?" he asked, his voice considerably softer than what she had heard before.

This made her jaw snap closed. She shook her head. "No," she said. "No, I don't want otherwise."

The differences in his facial expressions were often minimal, but his eyes widened for an instant as a smile settled in place; she could tell he was happy with her answer.

"Absolutely not," her mother said. Her voice was calm, which bothered Tamiko.

"Do you want to come with me, then?" Sai asked, ignoring what might be his future mother-in-law. "I came prepared. My friends are waiting outside."

At this, her father stood up and started towards the window, but her mother put a hand on his arm and gave him a look. He sat back down again, but kept glancing at the window and the door.

"You are trespassing. If you take my daughter, I will charge you with kidnapping," her mother stated.

Tamiko gave Sai a panicked look. He didn't seem to understand her concern, however. "Do you still want to come with me?" he asked.

She glanced at her parents, who were in two very different states of anger. Sai was smiling as he always did. Tamiko nodded.

Without any hesitation, Sai stood up and walked to the door. "Where is your room? Are you okay with my friends helping?" he asked.

Tamiko was quick to follow him. "This way," she said. "No, I don't mind."

Sai didn't respond, but let her lead the way. When she opened the door to her room, she realized she should have felt nervous or embarrassed for letting him see what was supposed to be her most personal space. Instead, an overwhelming sense of anxiousness filled her. This was crazy. It was the craziest thing she'd ever done.

Sai walked to a window, slid it open, and whistled in the air. Almost immediately, an orange blur, followed by a red blur, dropped into view. The orange was a guy with blonde hair and blue eyes. His face kept changing expressions as he looked about the room. The red was a girl with pink hair and green eyes that were staring into hers.

"How should we start this?" Sai asked.

"How about with a brief introduction? Sheesh," the boy said and stuck out a hand. "I'm Naruto. This is way cool, by the way. Seriously. You have no idea – "

"I'm Sakura," the girl interrupted and elbowed him out of the way, replacing his hand with hers for another handshake. "Now, do you have bags or suitcases or something? And I'm assuming we just grab what we think is useful. You grab anything you know you want. We'll try and get everything but..." she looked around the room, "...it's a lot."

Tamiko nodded and they set about yanking things into bags she produced from her closet. Her parents hadn't followed, which she found odd and, if she was honest, a bit unsettling.

When everything she thought she might want was packed, along with all the practical stuff, like clothes and hairbrushes, they hoisted the bags on their backs and exited the way Naruto and Sakura had entered – the window.

* * *

><p>Merry Christmas everybody!<p>

Jen


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